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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26956210">The Last Time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mdelpin/pseuds/mdelpin'>mdelpin</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oryu404/pseuds/Oryu404'>Oryu404</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fairy Tail Dads AU [24]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fairy Tail</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Bad Relationship, Break Up, Child Abuse, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Leaving Home, M/M, Magnolia Dad's Club, Parent-Child Relationship, Prompt: On the Run, Reaching For Help, Realizations, Whumptober 2020, ftdadsau</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:00:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,920</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26956210</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mdelpin/pseuds/mdelpin, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oryu404/pseuds/Oryu404</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>All it takes is one night to turn Gray's world upside down, forcing him to face the truths he'd been denying for so long.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gray Fullbuster &amp; Lyon Vastia, Gray Fullbuster &amp; Original Character(s), Siegrain Fernandes/Gray Fullbuster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fairy Tail Dads AU [24]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1555675</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Fairy Tail Dads AU, Fairy Tail LGBTales, Whumptober 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Last Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>April 23, 2020</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>11:33 pm</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Take only what you need.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The words had sounded so simple when Lyon had uttered them over the phone a few minutes earlier. They’d even managed to dampen the panic bubbling inside him by giving him a direction. But now that Gray was surrounded by all of his belongings, he could barely identify them, let alone decide which ones were essential.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He entered their spacious walk-in closet and pulled two suitcases down, randomly grabbing items from hangers while keeping an ear out for any movement from his son. Jeans, shirts, underwear, a belt, and an extra pair of shoes all made their way into his suitcase, along with a host of other items he barely looked at. On a whim, he grabbed a few of his more expensive watches from the island where they kept their jewelry, belts, ties, and cuff links, knowing the only money he’d have access to would be the one in Aki’s savings account.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Dadddaaaa!!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of his son’s desperate screams echoed in his head as he packed, and he couldn’t stop the tears from falling or his body from shaking as visions of coming home to find Siegrain beating their eighteen-month-old son played over and over in his mind, causing Gray to rush out of the closet to assure himself that Aki was still asleep on his bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hadn’t had a chance to process his emotions yet. Everything had happened so fast, but as he ran his fingers over his son’s hair, wincing at the swelling on the chubby cheeks and inspecting the darkening bruises that ran along both of his arms, he felt a cold fury grip him, unlike any he’d ever felt before. He fussed with the blanket he’d draped over Aki earlier, making sure it covered him properly, trying to make up in some way for not being there earlier. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Noticing the teddy that had dropped to the floor, he picked it up and carefully tucked it in beside his son. Aki stirred at his touch, letting out a soft whimper that tore at Gray’s heart but thankfully, he remained asleep, exhausted from all his crying, which had only stopped after Siegrain had stormed out. Gray had spent a long time holding him close, speaking soft words, and doing his best to comfort him despite being shaken himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Everything's going to be okay. I promise I'll never let him hurt you again. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d meant it, too. He’d put up with a lot from his husband over the years, but Gray instinctively knew this was it. This was as far as he could go on this rollercoaster that his marriage to Siegrain Fernandes had become. It was time to get off. Even if that meant leaving everything behind. His house, his marriage, his career… he would gladly give all of it up for Aki’s sake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gray unlocked his phone, bringing up the app that would let him see where Siegrain’s car was. He wasn’t even remotely surprised to find that his husband had made his way to one of the sleazier clubs in Crocus. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The news would have devastated him any other day, persuaded him yet again that he wasn’t enough to keep his husband satisfied. But right now, he only hoped that whatever pretty plaything Siegrain had ensnared would keep him occupied for a nice long while. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, luck didn’t seem to be on his side, because the red dot that pinpointed Siegrain’s location began to move. Gray watched with bated breath, praying that he’d go to another club, but the car took a turn that led it away from the downtown district and back towards their home.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck, fuck, fuck!</span>
  </em>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>They needed to be gone by the time Siegrain returned. Otherwise, there might not be another chance for a long time. If there was one thing Gray was sure of, it was that Siegrain wouldn’t let them go without a fight. Not when he’d become so used to all the things that Gray’s fame provided. He’d claim he hadn’t meant it, that it was the drugs, and after begging for forgiveness, he’d try to make it up to them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until the next time...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gray was all too familiar with the pattern and the broken promises.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>12:07 am, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Gray read off his watch, realizing over thirty minutes had already passed since he’d hung up with Lyon.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I want you to grab your son and drive to the airport’s long-term parking lot. I’ll meet you there in about, uhm… ninety minutes.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The knowledge that Siegrain was on his way fed into his panic, leaving him frozen in place when he needed to move the most, but one look at the small body lying on his bed was enough to get him moving.  Aki needed him to do this, and he couldn’t afford to fail him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hurried to his son’s room, grabbing anything he thought Aki could possibly want and shoving it into the suitcases. His heart raced, making his ears buzz from the blood that was being rapidly pumped around, and it disoriented him enough to make him run around the rooms in circles as he looked for anything else he'd have to pack. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>12.27 am. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The numbers taunted him, and yet he couldn't stop looking at his watch. He finally closed the suitcases but had managed to use up another twenty minutes packing. Meanwhile, Siegrain was getting closer and closer with each passing minute. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With clammy hands, Gray picked up the suitcases, moving swiftly as he hauled them down the stairs and into the garage. A sound came from one of the dark corners, sudden and loud, making him drop the suitcases to the concrete floor.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Jesus f-”</span>
  <span></span><br/>
<span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He held his hand to his chest, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it was trying to escape. His eyes darted around the room in an attempt to figure out where the noise had come from, fuming when he recognized their cat slinking past him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stupid cat, you almost gave me a heart attack,” he grumbled, regretting his harsh words as soon as he realized he’d have to leave his beloved pet behind as well. It made him want to go chase after her so he could pet her one last time, and listen as she purred her appreciation, but there was no time for that. He could only hope the housekeeper would take good care of her, as he doubted Siegrain would put in the effort.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their garage was large, full of the fancy vehicles his husband preferred,  but Gray walked past all of them, settling on the car he’d had in college rather than the expensive SUV he usually drove.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gray popped the car’s trunk and tossed the suitcases inside, stopping briefly to remove Aki’s booster seat from the SUV and placing it in the other vehicle, leaving the rear door open to make it easier to position a sleeping Aki.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The moment he walked back inside, he was greeted by the loud chime of the grandfather clock he’d gifted Siegrain on one of their anniversaries. It announced the half-hour, urging Gray to move faster. Lyon would be at the airport in about thirty minutes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had to get going. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was about to head upstairs when he noticed the baby bag sitting atop the kitchen counter and realized that in his haste, he’d neglected to pack any food or diapers. Grabbing some snacks from their pantry, he placed them as well as sippy cups filled with water and juice inside the bag and went off in search of diapers and wipes to take with him, promptly placing those items in his car as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gray ran up the stairs and into his bedroom, giving it a last-minute once-over, and as his eyes wandered over the different objects, something dawned on him. Their bedroom was just like any of the fancy hotels they often stayed at- tasteful but impersonal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>While his phone was full of pictures of their time together, their most intimate space held no mementos or personal touches whatsoever. No couple pictures, no souvenirs from their travels, not even pictures of them with Aki. Nothing to show that he and Siegrain had been together for eight years or that they had started a family. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>How had he never noticed it before? Sure he was often busy with work, and usually, when they were in the bedroom, they were doing other things, but still. There should be something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there wasn’t, and there never had been. Their relationship had only existed in his phone, in magazine spreads, and in emotionally detached moments of pleasure. And Gray could no longer deny what he’d suspected for the last couple of years but hadn’t wanted to accept. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Siegrain had never loved him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It hurt to finally admit it to himself, but it was just what he needed to justify his exit. And rather than make him sad, it filled him with righteous indignation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had given up so much to be with Siegrain - his family, his friends, his pride. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And for what?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Had he even been happy?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glared at the expensive band that adorned the ring finger of his left hand and yanked it off. Staring at it briefly, he was hit with an idea. He entered the bathroom and threw his wedding ring in the toilet, where he now felt it belonged. Let Siegrain fish for it if he wanted it back, preferably after he’d taken a piss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gray knew the sadness would hit him eventually, but that one act of defiance had restored some of his confidence, making him feel more like his old self, the one that didn’t take shit from anyone, and that was exactly who he needed to be from now on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He scooped Aki up in his arms as smoothly as he could, checking to make sure the teddy was still in the blanket. There were many things he could afford to leave behind, but his son's favorite toy was definitely not one of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aki whimpered softly as Gray made his way back downstairs, and although he wasn't sure if his boy was waking up or not, he tried soothing him anyway, just in case. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shh, it's okay, Daddy's got you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He put Aki in his car seat, making sure he was as gentle as he could, not wanting to risk touching any of the bruises and setting him off again. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t draw any attention to yourself, don’t break the speed limit, don’t look at anyone.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Gray knew as soon as he started the engine, that was going to be a challenge. He wanted nothing more than to slam his foot on the gas pedal and get the fuck out of there with screeching tires, not wanting to chance an encounter with Siegrain on their way out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The only thing keeping him from doing that was seeing Aki still asleep through the rearview mirror, and the thought of his escape plan falling apart when his reckless driving would get him in trouble. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lyon’s confident voice sounded in his head, repeating the last words he’d said before they’d hung up.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s going to be alright…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>And Gray let himself believe him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took deep breaths while he checked everything- seat belts, lights, mirrors, and doors- and when the garage door had opened far enough, Gray somehow managed to drive off calmly into the night, the door automatically closing behind him as he pulled out.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Want to talk with us about Fairy Tail, other animes, writing, or our stories? Click on the link to join our discord <a href="https://discord.gg/HTnthVNZ3V">The Unholy Trinity</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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